Oklahoma State isn't typically a program that is mentioned when it comes time to talk football championships.

But the newest Big 12 title-holder was in serious contention and discussion for the second slot in this year's BCS championship game. That in itself is a huge turn of events that was facing football hell only 20 years ago.

So going Maxwell Smart and missing the title game by THHHHHHHHHAT much is absolutely painful, even if just getting to the point of being close to making the title game is a new experience.

Sunday night in Stillwater, members of the OSU football program talked about the BCS snub, which apparently came down to voters deciding that the Pokes didn't pass the "eye test."

"I don't understand the eye test," Mike Gundy said. "I don't know what that means. That would have done it for Secretariat I guess; they wouldn't let her have a shot at it. I don't understand what the eye test has to do with anybody making a decision on who should be in that game. Their reasons are based on something that could drive television markets."

A strange sport indeed that willfully chooses to decide what teams will play for its championship based on a decision process akin to the Ms. America pageant. But that's another story for another day. How did the team itself handle the news?

"Our team was disappointed for five minutes until we said, 'Listen, you're in a BCS bowl. You get to go play in the Fiesta Bowl,' " Gundy said. "We wanted to put all that to rest tonight because we are excited for going to Glendale and playing Stanford. I'm not going to stand up here and say that there wasn't some disappointment with our players because there was. They wanted to play and they wanted a shot at it."

"Obviously it's a little bit disappointing," Brandon Weeden said. "But we did everything in our power, with what happened at Iowa State, to give ourselves a chance. To see how short we were, it's tough to swallow, but the two teams playing in the national championship are really good football teams. I know - me personally - I'm excited to go to Glendale and play in the Fiesta Bowl. I think it's going to be a lot of fun and it's still a BCS game. That's what we wanted as a program."

And that has finally been achieved. However

"It was bitter," said Jamie Blatnick of watching the selection show. "But there's nothing we can do about it now. We all would have loved to play in the national championship. I think that would have been the best matchup, but we can't. We just have to take our frustrations out on Stanford."